Ana Kasparian, executive producer and host of the left-wing political show The Young Turks, has drawn sharp criticism after posting a series of messages on X (formerly Twitter) describing Israel as “evil” and “genocidal” and accusing it of dragging the United States toward war with Iran, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The controversy began when Kasparian praised broadcaster Tucker Carlson for opposing potential US military involvement with Iran on Israel’s behalf. In the replies to her post, some users accused her of antisemitism. She responded angrily, using profanity and the term “goyim,” a Hebrew word traditionally meaning “nations” but sometimes used in charged contexts.
Several hours later, Kasparian posted a follow-up statement, which she pinned to her profile, saying she did not regret her comments and would not apologise.
“Israel is evil, genocidal, and has destroyed our country,” she wrote.
She further claimed that Israel was “about to drag us into another war” and argued that critics of Israeli policy are frequently labelled antisemitic. She accused Israel of “playing victim” while committing what she described as “genocide,” and said she would continue repeating what she considers to be the truth.
Her remarks prompted widespread backlash from Jewish organisations, commentators and political figures, who said her language crossed from political criticism into demonisation. Critics argued that describing Israel as inherently “evil” and genocidal echoes rhetoric frequently associated with antisemitic narratives, particularly when framed as part of broader claims of manipulation or control.
Supporters of Kasparian defended her right to criticise Israeli government policy and US foreign policy decisions, arguing that strong political language should not automatically be equated with antisemitism.
The debate reflects ongoing tensions over how criticism of Israel is expressed in public discourse. Jewish advocacy groups have repeatedly stated that while policy criticism is legitimate, language that portrays Israel as uniquely malevolent or attributes collective blame to “Israelis and their supporters” risks fuelling hostility toward Jewish communities more broadly.
Kasparian has not indicated that she plans to retract or amend her statements.
Photo Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon
More News
